MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'harvard medical school'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:59:52 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158872&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F08%2Fquis-custodiet-ipsos-custodes-redux.html Revised HHS Rules for Conflict of Interest Fall Short This morning NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins announced revisions to the existing 1995 regulations on objectivity in research that is funded by the Public Health Service. The focus is on significant financial interests (SFI) and on financial conflicts of interest (FCOI). The regulations illustrate the 3-way dance involving academic institutions (the grantees), NIH (the grantor) and academic scientists (the investigators). Thanks to Senator Grassley (R-Iowa) and his investigator Paul Thacker, headlined revelations in recent years about unacceptable management of FCOI at places like Stanford (Alan Schatzberg), Emory (Charles Nemeroff) and Harvard (Joseph Biederman) forced these revisions of the NIH regulations. The general initial react... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158872 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:10:00 +0100 5158872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096202&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhhpblog.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F07%2FSzymanski-OCD.flv When I leave for work in the morning, I go through my precommute checklist. Train pass, check. Wallet, check. Coffee mug, check. Smart phone, check. Keys to the house, check. Only when I’m sure that I have everything I need do I open the door and head outside. Sometimes I worry that this morning routine is becoming too much of a ritual. Is it possible that I have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD for short)? Probably not. The fact that I am able to get out the door every morning means that my daily ritual isn’t interfering with my ability to function, says Dr. Jeff Szymanski, a clinical instructor in psychology at Harvard Medical School. You have OCD when obsessions and compulsive behavior (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog* (Source... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096202 Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:00:48 +0100 5096202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029207&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FmeIeLnrcOiY%2F Earlier this month, three prominent psychiatrists from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital were sanctioned for violating conflict of interest rules. The trio received grant money from various drugmakers while studying their meds, but failed to report some of the outside income to the institutions while also receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health (see this). The move followed a long-running controversy over the interplay between academia and pharma, which was prompted by a high-profile US Senate Finance Committee probe over concerns that such undisclosed relationships may unduly influence medical research and practice. For their sins, the trio issued a mea culpa. The most prominent among them is Joseph Biederman, a psychiatrist with a national profile ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029207 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:36:22 +0100 5029207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4992989&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fl9r_qs2CrEo%2F Three years after they were fingered in a US Senate probe into the interplay between academics who receive grant money from both pharma and the National Institutes of Health, three prominent psychiatrists from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital have been sanctioned for violating conflict of interest rules and failing to report the extent of their payments. In a mea culpa addressed to their colleagues, Joseph Biederman, Thomas Spencer and Timothy Wilens wrote that “we want to offer our sincere apologies to HMS and MGH communities…We always believed we were complying in good faith with the institutional polices and our mistakes were honest ones. We now recognize that we should have devoted more time and attention to the detailed requirements of these polici... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4992989 Sat, 02 Jul 2011 14:04:29 +0100 4992989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592392&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthyroid-cancer-a-hazard-from-radioactive-iodine-emitted-by-japan%25e2%2580%2599s-failing-nuclear-power-plants%2F2011.03.15 One of the most abundant substances in the cloud of radioactive steam released by a failing nuclear power plant is iodine-131 — a radioactive form of the element iodine that is found throughout nature. Iodine-131 poses a special health risk because of its cancer-causing effect on the thyroid gland. The small, butterfly-shaped thyroid sits just below the voice box. From this perch, it controls how fast every cell in the body changes food into energy. The gland’s main product, thyroid hormone, governs the function of the digestive tract, brain, heart, nerves, muscles, bones, skin, and more. Iodine is a key ingredient that goes into making thyroid hormone. We get this element from ocean-caught or ocean-farmed fish and shellfish, milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and fruits and vegetables gr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592392 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:00:43 +0100 4592392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592399&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdoes-i-know-cpr-mean-you-can-do-cpr%2F2011.03.14 While I was browsing the produce section of my grocery store the other day, the sound of a panicked voice coming over the store’s loudspeaker made me jump. “Does anyone in the store know CPR? Anyone? CPR? We need you in baked goods!” I froze. In theory, I know how to perform CPR — cardiopulmonary resuscitation. I took a two-hour course on it nearly 25 years ago. But I hadn’t given it much thought since then and I certainly hadn’t practiced what I learned. My mind started whirling as I tried to remember the sequence of steps. They’d changed the rules a few years back — I knew that much — so I wouldn’t have to do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. But where exactly on the chest was I supposed to push? Should I form a fist and push down with my knuckles, or use the ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592399 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:00:53 +0100 4592399 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4575057&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fshingles-recurrence-can-the-vaccine-help%2F2011.03.11 This month’s Harvard Health Letter has an article about getting shingles a second or even a third time. (Click here to read the full article.) The bottom line is that recurrence is a) certainly possible and b) if some recent research is correct, much more common than previously thought and about as likely as getting shingles in the first place if you’re age 60 or older. I talked to Barbara Yawn, M.D., director of research at the Olmsted Medical Center in Rochester, Minn., for the article and mentioned results that she and her colleagues first presented at a conference several years ago. Yawn reported a more complete version of those results in last month’s issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings (a favorite journal of mine). Full text of the study isn’t available unless you h... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4575057 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:00:50 +0100 4575057 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560272&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fteens-who-smoke-pot-at-risk-for-mental-illness-later%2F2011.03.08 Teenagers and young adults who use marijuana may be messing with their heads in ways they don’t intend. Evidence is mounting that regular marijuana use increases the chance that a teenager will develop psychosis, a pattern of unusual thoughts or perceptions, such as believing the television is transmitting secret messages. It also increases the risk of developing schizophrenia, a disabling brain disorder that not only causes psychosis, but also problems concentrating and loss of emotional expression. In one recent study that followed nearly 2,000 teenagers as they became young adults, young people who smoked marijuana at least five times were twice as likely to have developed psychosis over the next 10 years as those who didn’t smoke pot. Another new paper concluded that early marijuan... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560272 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:00:56 +0100 4560272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549753&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpulmonary-embolism-if-it-can-strike-serena-williams-it-can-ace-anyone%2F2011.03.04 News that tennis star Serena Williams was treated for a blood clot in her lungs is shining the spotlight on a frightfully overlooked condition that can affect anyone — even a trained athlete who stays fit for a living. Williams had a pulmonary embolism. That’s doctor speak for a blood clot that originally formed in the legs or elsewhere in the body but that eventually broke away, traveled through the bloodstream, and got stuck in a major artery feeding the lungs. (To read more about pulmonary embolism, check out this article from the Harvard Heart Letter.) Pulmonary embolism is serious trouble because it can prevent the lungs from oxygenating blood — about one in 12 people who have one die from it. “No one is immune from pulmonary embolism, not even super athletes,” says ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549753 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 16:00:19 +0100 4549753 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507279&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthink-zinc-for-a-cold-not-me%2F2011.02.22 Media channels are a-twitter with the news that zinc can beat the common cold. CBS News, the LA Times, the Huffington Post, and hundreds of others are treating a quiet research report as big news that will have a life-changing effect. After reading the report and doing a little digging into the dark side of zinc, I’m not rushing out to stock up on zinc lozenges or syrup. The latest hubbub about zinc was sparked by a report from the Cochrane Collaboration. This global network of scientists, patients, and others evaluates the evidence on hundreds of different treatments. In the latest review, on zinc for the common cold, researchers Meenu Singh and Rashmi R. Das pooled the results of 13 studies that tested zinc for treating colds. By their analysis, taking zinc within 24 hours of first no... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507279 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:00:38 +0100 4507279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4472948&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fwhen-your-health-hinders-your-love-life%2F2011.02.13 This is the time of year when stores are filled with red hearts and other reminders that Valentine’s Day is approaching. It’s a mood booster, not to mention a nice break from all that winter grey (at least up here in Boston). After all, what would life be like without romance, love — and sex? Unfortunately, a variety of health problems — as well as some of the treatments for them — can get in the way of sexual desire and functioning. Here’s a quick look at some of the main sources of trouble and suggestions about what to try first. If these initial strategies don’t work, have a heart to heart with your doctor about what to do next. There may not be a quick fix for health-related sexual problems, but there are steps you can take to help ensure that you can still en... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4472948 Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:00:26 +0100 4472948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4436749&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Favoid-weight-gain-by-using-brain-tricks-to-master-portion-control%2F2011.02.04 When I was growing up, my parents had a simple rule when it came to food: “Finish everything on your plate.” We had to sit at the table until we did. They meant well. They wanted us to understand that food should not go to waste. The problem with this advice — and I’m sure I’m not the only American who grew up with it — is that we learned early on to eat everything put in front of us when we sat down to meals. Then the size of the plates grew — and so did the amount of food we consumed. It’s called portion inflation. Take a look at the illustration at left. It’s based on an analysis published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association which found that typical restaurant portion sizes today are two to eight times as large as those in 1955. Back then, p... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4436749 Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:00:41 +0100 4436749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419138&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmeditation-how-it-may-change-the-brain%2F2011.01.31 Meditation sounds like a great idea from the perspective of a psychiatrist: Anything that calms and focuses the mind is a good thing (and without pharmaceuticals, even better). Personally, I tried transcendental meditation as a kid (more to do with my mother than with me) and found it to be boring. I have trouble keeping my thoughts still. They wander to what I want for dinner, and should I write about this on Shrink Rap, and will Clink and Victor ever eat crabcakes with me again, and did I remember to give my last patient informed consent, and a zillion other things. Holding my thoughts still is work. The New York Times Well blog has an article on meditation and brain changes. In “How Meditation May Change the Brain,” Sindya N. Bhanoo writes: The researchers report that those ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419138 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:00:00 +0100 4419138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372048&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fsynthetic-blood-via-artificial-cells-and-platelets-from-stem-cells%2F2011.01.19 There’s hema­tology news, times two (at least): 1. Progress in devel­oping syn­thetic red blood cells A University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill research group has created hydrogel par­ticles that mimic the size, shape and flex­i­bility of red blood cells (RBCs). The researchers used PRINT® (Particle Replication in Non-wetting Templates) tech­nology to gen­erate the fake RBCs, which are said to have a rel­a­tively long half-life. The findings were reported on-line yes­terday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) (abstract available, sub­scription required for full text). According to a PR-ish but inter­esting post on Futurity, a website put forth by a con­sortium of major research uni­ver­sities, tests of the par­ticles’ ability to ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372048 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:00:47 +0100 4372048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4360978&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprotect-your-heart-when-shoveling-snow%2F2011.01.18 After shoveling the heavy, 18-inch layer of snow that fell overnight on my sidewalk and driveway, my back hurt, my left shoulder ached, and I was tired. Was my body warning me I was having a heart attack, or were these just the aftermath of a morning spent toiling with a shovel? Now that I’m of an AARP age, it’s a question I shouldn’t ignore. Snow shoveling is a known trigger for heart attacks. Emergency rooms in the snowbelt gear up for extra cases when enough of the white stuff has fallen to force folks out of their homes armed with shovels or snow blowers.  What’s the connection? Many people who shovel snow rarely exercise. Picking up a shovel and moving hundreds of pounds of snow, particularly after doing nothing physical for several months, can put a big strain on the heart. ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4360978 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:00:40 +0100 4360978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343096&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F01%2Fwho-undermined-these-wonderful.html The rise and fall of yet another esteemed health care institution provides another cautionary tale about health care dysfunction.  The Tragic Fall of the Picower FoundationTwo years ago, a highly-regarded charitable foundation had to close its doors, apparently one of the biggest victims of the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme.  Here is the Boston Globe version of the story:The unfolding scandal surrounding the alleged Ponzi scheme run by Bernard L. Madoff yesterday claimed as a victim one of the largest foundations in the country, which has funded groundbreaking brain research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and diabetes research at Harvard Medical School.The Picower Foundation of Palm Beach sent an e-mail to 'colleagues and friends' late yesterday saying that it was a v... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343096 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:11:00 +0100 4343096 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4343126&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmental-illness-and-the-tucson-shooting%2F2011.01.13 When reports arrived that accused gunman Jared Lee Loughner had opened fire in Tucson, Arizona on January 7, journalistic first responders linked the incident to the fierceness of political rhetoric in the United States. Upon reflection, some of the discussion has turned to questions about mental illness, guns, and violence. And plenty of reflection is required, because the connections are not at all simple. To get a sense of just how complicated they are, we invite you to read the lead article in this month’s Harvard Mental Health Letter entitled, “Mental Illness and Violence.” Strangely (for us) it was prepared for publication a month before the tragedy in Tucson. In light of the shooting, we are making the article available to non-subscribers. I am not surprised at the outrage ex... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4343126 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:00:21 +0100 4343126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309610&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftop-10-health-stories-of-2010%2F2011.01.04 1. Health care reform How could the health care reform legislation that President Barack Obama signed into law on March 23, 2010, not be the #1 story of the year?  Whether you are for or against it, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is nothing if not ambitious, and if implemented, it will fundamentally alter how American health care is financed and perhaps delivered.  The law is designed to patch holes in the health insurance system and extend coverage to 32 million Americans by 2019 while also reining in health care spending, which now accounts for more than 17% of the country’s gross domestic product. The biggest changes aren’t scheduled to occur until 2014, when most people will be required to have health insurance or pay a penalty (the so-called indiv... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309610 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:49 +0100 4309610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4302123&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fechinacea-for-colds-does-it-really-work%2F2010.12.31 This study is unlikely to change minds about whether to take this remedy. Have you tried echinacea as a cold remedy? Has it worked? How do research findings, pro and con, affect your opinion of so-called alternative medicines? Many of the echinacea studies, especially early on, were sponsored by companies making or selling the product. This study was supported by a grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. - Peter Wehrwein, Editor, Harvard Health Letter *This blog post was originally published at Harvard Health Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4302123 Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:00:12 +0100 4302123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241687&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=34765&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhcrenewal.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F12%2Fimpeachment-its-about-institution-not.html IMPEACHMENT: IT’S ABOUT THE INSTITUTION, NOT THE PERSONThe impeachment trial of Judge G. Thomas Porteous of Louisiana this week was a lesson in civic ethics. The lessons of the Porteous trial apply to academic medical centers, professional medical societies, medical journals, and granting agencies like NIH. The Porteous trial is a straightforward case of bribes, kickbacks and corruption involving a Federal judge. The most enlightening arguments came from prosecutor Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, laying out the case for impeachment in the Senate. He gave a lucid presentation of the logic and the historical origins of the impeachment process. The key points are these: impeachment serves to protect the dignity, honor, and credibility of the office more than to punish the wayward office hol... Health Care Renewal blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241687 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 09:21:00 +0100 4241687 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214107&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fnew-recommendations-for-vitamin-d%2F2010.11.30 Vitamin D has been talked about as the vitamin — the one that might help fend off everything from cancer to heart disease to autoimmune disorders, if only we were to get enough of it. “Whoa!” is the message from a committee of experts assembled by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to update recommendations for vitamin D (and for calcium). The IOM committee’s report, released this morning, says evidence for many of  the health claims for vitamin D is “inconsistent and/or conflicting or did not demonstrate causality.” The exception is the vitamin’s well-documented (and noncontroversial) benefits on bone growth and maintenance. The IOM panel’s report also says most North Americans (Canadians as well as Americans) have more than enough vitamin D in their blood to a... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214107 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:00:45 +0100 4214107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179319&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpicture-your-diet-with-photocalorie%2F2010.11.18 Although I can check the calorie content of any food on WolframAlpha, it’s good to have a site that focuses only on this issue: PhotoCalorie is an application inspired by the ideas of Dr. Mark Boguski of Harvard Medical School, who realized that the current methods available to track your daily nutrient intake are monotonous and simply too complicated.  As a result, people would lose interest in tracking their diet or stop the diet all together. Our mission is to create the easiest food journal on the planet to help dieters lose weight and monitor their diet with ease. *This blog post was originally published at ScienceRoll* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179319 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:00:48 +0100 4179319 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4175920&cid=t_102459_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F16%2Fdana-farber-researchers-oncomap-the-way-to-personalized-treatment-for-ovarian-cancer%2F Researchers have shown that point mutations – mis-spellings in a single letter of genetic code – that drive the onset and growth of cancer cells can be detected successfully in advanced ovarian cancer using a technique called OncoMap. The finding opens the way for personalized medicine in which every patient could have their tumor screened, [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4175920 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 07:24:47 +0100 4175920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976711&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FT-dukPIsxP4%2F Several years after issuing conflict-of-interest guidelines for its physicians, the Yale Medical Group, which is an appendage of the Yale University School of Medicine, has adopted a new, comprehensive policy that addresses financial ties to drug and device makers; gifts, meals and other goodies from industry; ghostwriting; samples; consulting and continuing medical education. “We wanted to upgrade the guidelines to a full-blown policy so that faculty and others understand that these are no longer electives, because the landscape has changed,” David Leffell, Yale Medical Group’s ceo, tells us. To clarify, the Yale Medical Group is staffed by roughly 800 academic physicians from the Yale School of Medicine; it is not a separate practice or foundation. The move reflects ong... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976711 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:45:51 +0100 3976711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889149&cid=t_102459_112_f&fid=34971&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorandpatient.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fwhat-to-do-if-you-feel-your-doctor-is.html The feeling of helplessness is never stronger than when you’re ill or incapacitated by disease –you are physically challenged and short of energy, not to mention the fact that you’re unable to go about your daily routine as usual. You depend on your doctor or healthcare practitioner to provide a solution, both temporary (to eliminate the symptoms) and permanent (to get you back to normal). However, if you feel your doctor is incompetent and less than efficient, the feeling of inadequacy is compounded a hundred times or more.Some doctors are incompetent because they may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol; others may just be preoccupied with their own problems instead of paying attention to you and your illness; and yet others are just not capable enough. If you feel your docto... The Patient's Doctor blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889149 Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:47:00 +0100 3889149 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3786131&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ftwitter-used-to-gauge-the-nations-mood%2F2010.07.24 A team from Northeastern University and Harvard Medical School has been analyzing words used in tweets by American users in an attempt to gauge the public mood around the country. What they discovered was that users on the West Coast seem to be quite a bit jollier than those on the East Coast. It’s not clear whether the data was collected during the summer or winter months and accordingly adjusted, for that surely would affect the readings. Researchers were able to infer the mood of each tweet using a psychological word-rating system developed by the National Institute of Mental Health’s Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention. The system ranks words based on how they make people feel. (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Medgadget* (Source: Bette... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3786131 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:00:41 +0100 3786131 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3784306&cid=t_102459_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2010%2F07%2F23%2Fu-s-mood-measured-through-twitter-2006-2009%2F A group of researchers have published a simple word analysis of 300 million tweets (you know, those short, 140 character-maximum status updates from individuals) from Twitter and discovered something amazing — people are happier on the weekends, and before and after work. Yes, that’s right — people are happier when they are not working! It took three researchers from Northeastern University and two from Harvard Medical School to arrive at these stunning conclusions. Now, since researchers didn’t actually look at 300 million tweets individually, the mood of each tweet was inferred using the ANEW word list — Affective Norms for English Words — a word-rating system that gives normative emotional ratings for English language words. These kinds of analyses ar... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3784306 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:45:21 +0100 3784306 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776379&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fprimary-care-conference-moves-industry-support-off-site%2F2010.07.21 Harvard’s annual primary medicine conference, Pri-Med East 2010, will move the industry-supported portion of the program off-site, and marketing will be further restricted (advertisements had been allowed in bathrooms, for example.) A Harvard official said the new rules are meant to keep doctors from becoming or appearing as industry marketing agents. (The Boston Globe) *This blog post was originally published at ACP Internist* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776379 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:00:00 +0100 3776379 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3776612&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FaBixXSE3HwE%2F Two more colleges are in the process of restricting funding from industry. Harvard Medical School will prohibit its 11,000 faculty from giving promotional talks for drug and device makers and accepting personal gifts, travel, or meals, The Boston Globe writes. And Central Michigan University may not accept money upcoming continuing medical education programs, according to Central Michigan Life. The Harvard will also place strict limits on income faculty can earn from companies for consulting, joining boards, and other work; require public reporting of payments of at least $5,000 on a med school website; and promise more robust internal reporting and monitoring of these relationships. Harvard will also create a firewall between health care companies during these courses. One target is Pri-M... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3776612 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:36:16 +0100 3776612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460111&cid=t_102459_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F04%2Fjohn-halamka-healthcare-experts-mull-apples-ipad%2F Harvard Medical School chief information officer John Halamka and other healthcare experts are positively giddy over the possible uses of Apple’s new iPad computer product in improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460111 Sun, 11 Apr 2010 20:49:15 +0100 3460111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3298275&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2010%2F02%2F23%2Faspirin-keeps-breast-cancer-at-bay%2F Filed under: Breast Cancer, Cancer SurvivorsBreast cancer survivors who took aspirin -- a baby aspirin or one adult pill -- after completing treatment were half as likely to die or have their tumors spread than those survivors who did not, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. According to study author Michelle Holmes, M.D., of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, aspirin may help control cancer by fighting inflammation. Cancers cells produce more inflammatory chemicals than normal breast cells. Of the women who were followed during the study, those who regularly took aspirin were 71 percent less likely to relapse with a deadly form of breast cancer than those who avoided the pain reliever. That's good news for the 2 million Amer... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3298275 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3298275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3262891&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FXlVoN0-2hFI%2F Bill Chin, who was senior vice president of discovery research at the drug maker, will join Harvard Medical School as executive dean for research on May 1, and will not only oversee research efforts but will also work with affiliated hospitals and develop a strategy for scientific interactions with industry, such as the HMS faculty policy on conflicts of interest. “Bill will engage the community in support of our key research initiatives designed to sustain HMS as the leading biomedical research institution well into the future,” Harvard Med School deal Jeff Flier, says in a statement. “There are very few people capable of rising to such a challenge.” But one wag calls the appointment puzzling and suggests the move implies industry is actually co-opting academia. &#... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3262891 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:51:48 +0100 3262891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3254668&cid=t_102459_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F08%2Fidentifying-overcoming-taxane-drug-resistance%2F Proteomics study reveals a protein that, when suppressed, makes cancers more susceptible to chemotherapy involving taxane drugs. Taxanes, a group of cancer drugs that includes paclitaxel (Taxol®) and docetaxel (Taxotere®), have become front-line therapy for a variety of metastatic cancers. But as with many chemotherapy agents, resistance can develop, a frequent problem in breast, ovarian, prostate [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3254668 Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:18:24 +0100 3254668 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139246&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FLLh7x1LGSFU%2F The effort to limit industry influence on the medical community continues. Partners HealthCare, which owns Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals in Boston, has imposed caps on the amount of money that its senior officials can receive for sitting on the boards of drugmakers and biotechs, The New York Times reports. The limits? No more than $5,000 a day for actual board work (some had been receiving more than $200,000 a year) and stock may no longer be accepted. The move appears to go further than what other hospitals are instituting and is significant given the research hospitals are affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Although if more academic centers take this step, such efforts may rub up against the insistence by shareholder groups that board members hold stock s... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139246 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:55:04 +0100 3139246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071433&cid=t_102459_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F08%2Fmagp2-gene-expression-signature-a-potential-ovarian-cancer-personalized-treatment-target%2F A multi-institutional study has identified a potential personalized treatment target for the most common form of ovarian cancer. In the December 8 issue of Cancer Cell, the research team describes finding that a gene called MAGP2 – not previously associated with any type of cancer – was overexpressed in papillary serous ovarian tumors of patients [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071433 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:17:59 +0100 3071433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2851968&cid=t_102459_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2Fd0tjpkB_Oss%2F Music and cancer do not go together, and I mean that in the context of this new technology: A project at Harvard Medical School created a program to translate the signals from cells into musical notes. Normal signals will sound harmonious, abnormal signals like those coming from cancer cells will sound awful. Listen to this –     Using date from a pre-existing colon cancer study, bioinformatician Gil Alterovitz and his team created a program that transforms complex genomic information into musical notes, so that abnormal data will sound discordant. “When things go awry, such as in the case of p53-null mutant colon cancer cells under inflammatory stress conditions, gene expression varies slightly, and inharmonious chord progressions result. Listening to the result... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2851968 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:11:20 +0100 2851968 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2774669&cid=t_102459_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F09%2F08%2Ftreating-internet-addiction-is-new%2F I’ve been loathe to give any additional attention to the tiny treatment center in Washington state that says it’s treating “Internet addiction” in a “first of its kind in the US” treatment program, seeing as it’s already had over 350 media mentions in the past few days, including the one below in none other than the New York Times. Apparently when you start a media snowball rolling downhill, it’s hard to stop for a moment and do any actual reporting on the topic. It is much easier to eat up the PR and repackage it with no critical eye on the claims made. One of the problems with the mainstream media’s reporting on the topic is that it’s acting as though this is the first treatment center to treat this mythical condition (I say &#8... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2774669 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:40:23 +0100 2774669 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2663989&cid=t_102459_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F08%2F03%2Fjohns-hopkins-when-a-survey-isnt-really-research%2F So when is a survey not research? When it’s a survey conducted by Johns Hopkins, apparently. We all know Johns Hopkins as one of those premier medical institutions in the U.S. Like the Harvard Medical School or the Mayo Clinic, most Americans recognize the name as being synonymous with quality medicine and research. So what would you think if you received a survey called the “Johns Hopkins 2009 Health America Survey?” You’d think, cool, Johns Hopkins wants me to participate in some of their medical research and tell them about my health. You’d be wrong, though. Trisha Torrey, blogging over at the Patient Empowerment Blog, got such a survey and began wondering about the pitch to purchase one of their 15 “white papers” on the conditions listed in th... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2663989 Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:10:03 +0100 2663989 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2786019&cid=t_102459_109_f&fid=38951&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcarlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Facre-academics-craving-reimbursement.html Everybody’s buzzing about the new organization and website, ACRE, whose purpose is to stem the tide of legislation that is rehabilitating the ethics of physicians.The trouble is, there is some confusion about which is the true ACRE website. Is it this one, which calls itself the "Association of Clinical Researchers and Educators"? Or is it this one, which calls itself "Academics Craving Reimbursement for Everything"? It's devilishly hard to distinguish the two, because their messages are identical.At any rate, either ACRE 1 or Acre 2 is hosting this fancy conference to convince everyone that doctors should be giving more, rather than fewer, promotional talks for drug companies. Incredibly enough, one of the scheduled speakers is Dr. Jeffrey Flier, the dean of Harvard Medical School. I gu... The Carlat Psychiatry Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2786019 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:14:00 +0100 2786019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442555&cid=t_102459_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F05%2F24%2Fgenetic-testing-for-hereditary-breast-and-ovarian-cancers-greatly-underutilized-by-high-risk-women%2F A women’s lifetime breast cancer risk is approximately 13 percent, and her ovarian cancer risk is less than 2 percent.  But women with BRCA1 (BReast CAncer 1) or BRCA2 (BReast CAncer 2) gene mutations may be 3 to 7 times more likely to develop breast cancer, and 9 to 30 times more likely to develop [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442555 Mon, 25 May 2009 01:03:00 +0100 2442555 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2442122&cid=t_102459_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FHMdav34z_sI%2F Arts education influences learning and other areas of cognition and may deserve a more prominent place in schools, according to a wave of recent neuroscience research.One recent study found that children who receive music instruction for just 15 months show strengthened connections in musically relevant brain areas and perform better on associated tasks, compared with students who do not learn an instrument. A separate study found that children who receive training to improve their focus and attention perform better not only on attention tasks but also on intelligence tests. Some researchers suggest that arts training might similarly affect a wide range of cognitive domains. Educators and neuroscientists gathered recently in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., to discuss the increasingly detai... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2442122 Sun, 24 May 2009 19:15:40 +0100 2442122 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2398873&cid=t_102459_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fhalamka-gives-implantable-phrs Dr. John Halamka, CIO of Harvard Medical School, has officially given up on the idea that people will want to carry their medical records on implanted RFID chips, Michael Millenson reports on The Health Care Blog. Halamka had a chip implanted in 2004, but doesn't think the public will ever widely accept the technology. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2398873 Fri, 08 May 2009 15:35:09 +0100 2398873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2224465&cid=t_102459_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F02%2F28%2Finfinity-announces-hedgehog-pathway-ovarian-cancer-preclinical-data-results-indicate-significant-inhibition-of-tumor-growth-in-primary-ovarian-cancer%2F Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:INFI), an innovative cancer drug discovery and development company, … announced the presentation of preclinical data from the natural product foundation of IPI-926, Infinity’s orally-available inhibitor of the Hedgehog pathway, demonstrating significant inhibition of tumor growth in a primary ovarian cancer model. “CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 9, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2224465 Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:52:16 +0100 2224465 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021725&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F478854343%2F The Boston psychiatrist, who is being investigated by the US Senate Finance Committee for allegedly failing to fully disclose payments from drugmakers, defended himself against conflict-of-interest charges in a letter to The Boston Globe. Biederman was responding to reports that newly disclosed court documents indicated he sought funds from Johnson & Johnson to create an institute at Massachusetts General Hospital would help promote the use of antipsychotic drugs for youngsters diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the paper writes (back story here and here). In one internal 2002 e-mail, execs at J&J’s Janssen Pharmaceutica, which sells Risperdal, discuss Biederman’s repeated proposals for the drugmaker to help fund a center on pediatric bipolar disorder. “The ratio... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021725 Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:20:35 +0100 2021725 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1981287&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F460733778%2F Those crazy kids are at it again. Brandishing signs on the steps of Harvard Medical School’s Gordon Hall, about 40 students flanked by colleagues from Tufts and Boston University rallied for stronger policies against pharmaceutical-industry influence at Harvard’s affiliated hospitals last month, The Crimson writes. A petition signed by over 200 faculty and students was delivered to the office of med school dean Jeff Flier, And the event drew the attention of representatives from Pfizer and former New England Journal of Medicine editor Arnold Relman, a med school professor who extemporaneously addressed the group. Med school students, who spend their third and fourth years at affiliated hospitals for clinical education traiing, say they have been nudging the administration to revamp c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1981287 Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:59:32 +0100 1981287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1668810&cid=t_102459_136_f&fid=36162&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myelomablog.com%2F2008%2F07%2F30%2Fhow-molecules-out-of-balance-lead-to-human-multiple-myeloma-and-other-cancers%2F ScienceDaily (2008-07-28) — An international team of scientists has identified processes that are heavily implicated in human multiple myeloma and other B cell cancers, moving us closer to developing quick tests and readouts that could help in the tailored treatment of patients. “We already know that the over-expression or mutation of molecules known as NIK and TRAF3 in B cells is associated with human multiple myeloma,” said Professor Mackay. “Our collaborative research uncovered two distinct processes involving these molecules that help explain why.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729133616.htm (Source: beth's myeloma blog) beth's myeloma blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1668810 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:16:09 +0100 1668810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1522553&cid=t_102459_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F06%2F15%2Fthe-situation-of-medical-research%2F Gardiner Harris and Benedict Carey wrote an article in last week’s New York Times includes, titled “Researchers Fail to Reveal Full Drug Pay.“ In it , they describe yet another instance of industry influence over what research and manipulation of the marketplace of ideas. We’ve included a few excerpts from the story below. * * * A world-renowned Harvard child psychiatrist whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of powerful antipsychotic medicines in children earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drug makers from 2000 to 2007 but for years did not report much of this income to university officials, according to information given Congressional investigators. By failing to report income, the psychiatrist, Dr. Joseph Biederman, and a colleague in the psych... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1522553 Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:01:35 +0100 1522553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1501502&cid=t_102459_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F307089180%2F A Harvard child psychiatrist whose work has helped fuel an explosion in the use of antipsychotics in children earned at least $1.6 million in consulting fees from drugmakers from 2000 to 2007 but for years did not report much of the income to university officials, according to information given Congressional investigators, The New York Times reports. By failing to report income, the psychiatrist, Joseph Biederman, and a colleague in the psychiatry department at Harvard Medical School, Timothy Wilens, may have violated federal and university research rules governing conflicts of interest, US Senator Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican tells the Times, since some of their research is financed by government grants. Grassley has been investigating the interplay between academics who receive gra... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1501502 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:51:37 +0100 1501502 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321797&cid=t_102459_145_f&fid=35710&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstoryofhealing.com%2F2008%2F03%2F23%2Fcan-our-art-and-science-keep-pace-with-technological-evolution%2F This article explores further its possible medical use. The arrival this June of an enterprise-friendly iPhone is exciting to more than just business users. Doctors, too, are eyeing Apple’s handheld and wondering if it could kill off the old-fashioned clipboard and X-ray light box once and for all. “If you could use the gesture-based way of manipulating images on the iPhone and actually manipulate a stack of X-rays or CT scans, that would be a huge selling point,” says Adam Flanders, director of informatics at Thomas Jefferson University and an expert in medical imaging. To date, such a feature has remained a pipe dream due to most smartphones’ inability to handle the sophisticated compression techniques used on large medical images. Also, most phones lack the requ... the story of healing blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321797 Sun, 23 Mar 2008 06:39:16 +0100 1321797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=776125&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F08%2F03%2Fcombo-drug-therapy-reverses-type-1-in-mice%2F This study suggests stopping the development of type 1 in humans must address the autoimmune T-cell disorder and the loss of insulin responsiveness in tissues due to inflammation. Once a body starts losing insulin-generating beta cells, the cells that remain have to work even harder to control blood sugar. Dr. Strom stated human clinical trials will begin within a year. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments (Source: The Diabetes Blog) The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=776125 Fri, 03 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 776125 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=733636&cid=t_102459_87_f&fid=34867&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thediabetesblog.com%2F2007%2F07%2F13%2Fdetecting-dangerous-deep-belly-fat%2F Filed under: Type 2, ResearchIt used to be that fat was just fat. Not anymore. Turns out that even fat is, upon close examination, more complicated than we ever realized. Did you know, for instance, that accumulations of deep belly fat are particularly harmful? Such accumulations are a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes because they are associated with increased insulin resistance, not to mention increased risk of heart attack.One problem with deep belly fat, however, is that you can't necessarily detect it with a tape measure or by eyeballing someone's waistline. That is, you can't tell by just looking at a person how much of the fat surrounding their abdomen is deep belly fat versus the subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin's surface. However, a new study reports that a simple bloo... The Diabetes Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=733636 Fri, 13 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 733636